1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to phototherapy, and more particularly, to novel apparatuses and methods for phototherapy of brain tissue affected by stroke.
2. Description of the Related Art
Stroke, also called cerebrovascular accident (CVA), is a sudden disruption of blood flow to a discrete area of the brain that is brought on by a clot lodging in an artery supplying that area of that brain, or by a cerebral hemorrhage due to a ruptured aneurysm or a burst artery. The consequence of stroke is a loss of function in the affected brain region and concomitant loss of bodily function in areas of the body controlled by the affected brain region. Depending upon the extent and location of the primary insult in the brain, loss of function varies greatly from mild or severe, and may be temporary or permanent. Lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet, level of physical activity and high cholesterol increase the risk of stroke, and thus stroke is a major cause of human suffering in developed nations. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in most developed nations, including the United States.
Until recently, stroke treatment was restricted to providing basic life support at the time of the stroke, followed by rehabilitation. Recently, new drug therapies have taken the approach of breaking up blood clots or protecting surviving at-risk neurons from further damage.
Thrombolytic therapy includes aspirin or intravenous heparin to prevent further clot formation and to maintain blood flow after an ischemic stroke. Thrombolytic drugs include tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) and genetically engineered versions thereof, and streptokinase. However, streptokinase does not appear to improve the patient's outlook unless administered early (within three hours of stroke). TPA when administered early appears to substantially improve prognosis, but slightly increases the risk of death from hemorrhage. In addition, over half of stroke patients arrive at the hospital more than three hours after a stroke, and even if they arrive quickly, a CT scan must first confirm that the stroke is not hemorrhagic, which delays administration of the drug. Also, patients taking aspirin or other blood thinners and patients with clotting abnormalities should not be given TPA.
Neuroprotective drugs target surviving but endangered neurons in a zone of risk surrounding the area of primary infarct. Such drugs are aimed at slowing down or preventing the death of such neurons, to reduce the extent of brain damage. Certain neuroprotective drugs are anti-excitotoxic, i.e., work to block the excitotoxic effects of excitatory amino acids such as glutamate that cause cell membrane damage under certain conditions. Other drugs such as citicoline work by repairing damaged cell membranes. Lazaroids such as Tirilazed (Freedox) counteract oxidative stress produced by oxygen-free radicals produced during stroke. Other drugs for stroke treatment include agents that block the enzyme known as PARP, and calcium-channel blockers such as nimodipine (Nimotop) that relax the blood vessels to prevent vascular spasms that further limit blood supply. However, the effect of nimodipine is reduced if administered beyond six hours after a stroke and it is not useful for ischemic stroke. In addition, drug therapy includes the risk of adverse side effects and immune responses.
Surgical treatment for stroke includes carotid endarterectomy, which appears to be especially effective for reducing the risk of stroke recurrence for patients exhibiting arterial narrowing of more than 70%. However, endarterectomy is highly invasive, and risk of stroke recurrence increases temporarily after surgery. Experimental stroke therapies include an angiography-type or angioplasty-type procedure using a thin catheter to remove or reduce the blockage from a clot. However, such procedures have extremely limited availability and increase the risk of embolic stroke. Other surgical interventions, such as those to repair an aneurysm before rupture remain controversial because of disagreement over the relative risks of surgery versus leaving the aneurysm untreated.
Against this background, a high level of interest remains in finding new and improved therapeutic apparatuses and methods for the treatment of stroke. In particular, a need remains for relatively inexpensive and non-invasive approaches to treating stroke that also avoid the limitations of drug therapy.